Magnesium (2)
The 80th floor of the Tower Master's research building.
In the Magic Engineering laboratory, Reed gazed at the magnesium piled up in boxes.
At first glance, it looked like a metal between brass and iron.
Reed grabbed a piece of magnesium with his hand.
The magnesium, which had the shape of a stone, left a mark as if it was crushed like soft clay.
It would break apart if used as armor, so using it as a piece of equipment would be a bad idea.
Reed's research using magnesium involved this.
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Magnesium alloy reinforcement and maintenance using magic stones.
Type: Research Project
Author: Reed Adeleheights Roton
Whether magnesium, whose material and hardness change depending on the presence and concentration of mana, can be adjusted and maintained using magic stones, and whether it can be used for metal products or substitutes.
Hypothesis formulation status: O
Research progress: -
<Successful>
It can be used for metal items (100%).
A new research project will be unlocked (20%).
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This research aimed to not only switch to Magic Engineering as a field of study but also to maintain Reed's dignity as a Tower Master at the upcoming Tower Master meeting.
Carrying Rosaria on his back and showing off as a boss would be the most humiliating image for him.
'The Tower Master meeting is in five days.'
Will something worth showing come out within that time?
The unknowns were still there.
Reed chose this particular research project.
Having a clearly established hypothesis meant that the research would definitely be successful if conducted.
'Success means you can use magnesium, and a new project will be unlocked at a 20% chance...'
This was similar to the research system in the game 'Disaster 7'.
You can retry even if you fail.
All you lose is probably money, time, and some conditions.
In the case of this research, there was a condition of unlocking a new project at a 20% chance upon the first success.
'The chances of success are only 20%, though...'
It was a situation where luck played a huge role, but Reed did not neglect that.
He would catch both rabbits for sure.
He would participate in the experiment with that determination.
"How do I start the research?"
Usually, when you enter the research system, other NPCs do it all, and the protagonist only hunts and gathers materials.
Getting involved in the actual research would just add tedious elements to the RPG game.
As soon as he asked, a message appeared in front of Reed.
It was the first step of the experiment as written in the research project.
[1. Put magnesium in the mana furnace and heat it to ??? degrees for ??? minutes, then pour it into a casting mold to cool it down.]
The first hurdle had been reached. Reed didn't know at what temperature to melt the magnesium and for how long he had to heat it.
"Let's see…"
The information on magnesium was useless and scarce.
So, all he could do was try it out one by one.
Reed had already mastered the operation of the mana furnace before starting the experiment, so it wasn't difficult.
Reed put two lumps of magnesium into the furnace's top-loading hole.
Then, he placed his hand on the iron handle and radiated mana.
Kuguguguk...
When a little magic power was injected, the unstable vibration inside was felt.
The initial uneasiness gradually stabilized, and the vibrations became less noticeable.
Reed displayed temperature and operation time in front of him, controlling it by the amount of mana input.
Since it was the first attempt, he heated it at 1,500 degrees for 10 minutes, which is the melting point of iron.
After a while, the melted magnesium flowed down the hole into the ingot mold.
Ten minutes later, he took out the cooled ingot.
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Magnesium Ingot
Type: Material Item
A ingot made from processing Magnesium, a byproduct of salamanders consuming iron.
<Manufacturing Lv. 3>: Too high a temperature and too long a heating time resulted in the loss of some of the material's original properties.
<Magic Science Lv. 4>: The magnesium mana reactivity has decreased by 30%.
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"Wow."
Below the normal material item, additional descriptions were added.
As they say, knowledge is power - Reed's ability had <Manufacturing> and <Magic Science> levels that matched the added information.
<Magic Science> dealt with the properties of the material as magic, while <Manufacturing> dealt with the loss of the processed material's properties.
'<Manufacturing> would have shown the appropriate temperature if it reached level 4, like <Magic Science>...'
Being a diligent magician rather than a mechanic, Reed must have abandoned refining the manufacturing skill.
He threw the magnesium ingot, which had lost some of its properties, into a discard box at the back.
'About two lumps of magnesium make up one ingot, so it's about 1 kg.'
This means that he can try 1,500 times in total.
With plenty of ammunition, Reed bravely adjusted his technique and produced magnesium ingots.
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<Manufacturing Lv. 3>: Too low a temperature and too short a heating time resulted in the loss of some of the material's original properties.
<Magic Science Lv. 4>: The magnesium mana reactivity has decreased by 60%.
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<Manufacturing Lv. 3>: A low temperature and a long heating time resulted in the alteration of some of the material's original properties.
<Magic Science Lv. 4>: The magnesium mana reactivity has decreased by 70%.
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He set the range and adjusted it as finely as possible within that range.
By doing so, he would eventually arrive at the appropriate temperature.
For about three hours, Reed focused only on making magnesium.
"Phew… that was tough."
Working with mana demanded a high level of concentration. Being close to the scorching heat left him drenched in sweat.
"I should make a work uniform."
The shirt and jacket of the uniform didn't help at all.
Reed threw off his soaked clothes and tried to focus again.
At that moment.
"Ugh!"
An intense headache rushed in, followed by a wave of exhaustion.
Reed's strength drained from his lower body, and he barely managed to lean on the table.
Hot nosebleed flowed from his nose like a faucet.
"What's going on?"
There was clearly something wrong with his body.
Reed opened his status window.
What appeared before him was his completely depleted mana pool.
- Mana: 0/4,982
It is called mana exhaustion in the world.
He was so absorbed that he didn't even notice his mana running out.
When a person's stamina is completely depleted, they die, and when their mana is depleted, they can also die as a magician.
In the martial arts world, this would be compared to losing one's inner energy.
There were those who became disabled magicians that could not use magic and experienced pain like being pierced by a thousand needles whenever they tried to use magic.
At least 10% of mana should have been left, but Reed was not careful enough.
'But I'm fine.'
What could have potentially turned him into a cripple was easily avoided thanks to Reed's 「Tower Master of Silence Tower」 trait.
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「Tower Master of Silence Tower」
Type: Passive
Only applicable within the Silence Tower.
You can access all scriptures.
You can use all functions.
Mana recovery speed is greatly accelerated.
You can absorb the tower's mana and recover your own mana using the Tower Master's authority.
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Even when not focusing on mana recovery, it slowly rises and aids Reed's recovery.
Tiny bits of mana reacted and increased like dew at dawn.
Now that there was just enough energy to meditate, Reed closed his eyes and focused on breathing in and out.
The mana that had been gradually accumulating increased exponentially as it piled up.
Within a minute, the mana that hadn't recovered even 10% was able to recover up to 90% in just five minutes.
Reed opened his eyes and got up.
The throbbing headache was completely gone, and he felt refreshed. He covered the nosebleed stains with a nearby rag.
Looking at the ingots he had made, Reed counted the numbers.
There were a total of 50 magnesium ingots.
'It takes around 50 kg before I reach a state of exhaustion.'
He carefully recorded the narrowed error range he had meticulously determined.
'So it won't happen again,' Reed promised himself as he checked the progress of his research.
[Research progress: 3%]
He was actually failing, but this progress was not bad.
'Now I have only three days left...'
Would there be something worth showing within that time?
The unknown still remained.